A stacker crane (2) for transporting articles (W) by vertically moving a vertically movable carriage (7) along a mast (5) that stands vertically is disclosed in JP Publication of application No. 06-156628. A receiving member (7b) of the vertically movable carriage (7) has a so-called cantilever structure in which its one horizontal end is supported by the mast (5) whereas the other end is left unsupported. Thus, the end portion of the receiving member (7b) that is left unsupported may oscillate vertically, for example, when the vertically movable carriage (7) comes to a sudden stop that results in a large deceleration while transporting an article (W) with the article (W) placed on the receiving member (7b) which in turn results in the vertically movable carriage (7) receiving a large external force. And this oscillation may cause the article (W) placed on the receiving member (7b) to be displaced out of position or to fall out of the receiving member (7b).
For this reason, this stacker crane (2) is provided with a pressing-down plate (15) which restricts upward movement of the article (W) after an article (W) is placed on the receiving member (7b). The pressing-down plate (15) is configured to be moved up and down, and is retrieved upward and away from position when placing an article (W) on the receiving member (7b) and is lowered to cause it to contact an upper portion of the article (W) after the article (W) has been placed on the receiving member (7b). In other words, by holding the article (W) from above and below by, and between, the receiving member (7b) and the pressing-down plate (15), the article (W) placed on the receiving member (7b) is prevented from being displaced out of position or falling out of the receiving member (7b), even when the vertically movable carriage (7) receives a large external force.
However, this vertically movable carriage (7) requires an actuator, such as an electric cylinder (13), and a control circuitry therefor, for vertically moving the pressing-down plate (15). This causes the vertically movable carriage (7) to have a complex structure which tends to cause increase in its size and weight.